Stadskanaal is willing to take the national government to court over the “structural problems” in youth care, primarily caused by a lack of funding. That was the outcome of an emergency debate on the severe abuse of two children, aged 6 and 7, in the Groningen municipality. Their mothers are in custody.

The debate on Tuesday started with a local mother succinctly summarizing the problems, RTV Noord reported. “As a parent, it sometimes feels as if no one is looking at the big picture,” Ilonka Uchman told the council about reports and signals of unsafe situations disappearing between agencies.

Multiple youth care and protection agencies were working with these families by the time the mothers were arrested, and the children, a 6-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, were placed out of their parental homes. The girl, who bore the brunt of the abuse, spent four nights in the hospital with signs of neglect while she was under the supervision of the child protection agency William Schrikker Foundation (WSS).

“I ask for careful observation, listening, and investigation. Children deserve for signals to be picked up before things get out of hand. They deserve adults who look beyond files and procedures,” Uchman said.

The municipal council wholeheartedly agreed with this. They recommitted their focus to solving the “structural problems” in youth care, also acknowledging that a big part of the solution must come from the national government. In 2015, the responsibility for youth care shifted from the central government to municipalities, but structural funding never materialized.

The D66 submitted a motion to again bring the structural budget shortages to the attention of Minister Mirjam Sterk of Long-Term Care, and to “start legal proceedings if necessary.” The motion received the support of several parties.

This is the second time that Stadskanaal is threatening a lawsuit if the national government does not provide funds for youth care. The government ultimately prevented the previous lawsuit in 2024 by covering about half of the deficits.

According to Thom Berends van de Knoalster (D66), it speaks volumes that Stadskanaal has to do this again. “That indicates that the relationship between the central government and municipalities regarding the Youth Care Act is under pressure,” he said. “We are not succeeding in providing children with the safety they need. There are many children who need youth care but are not receiving it.”

The city council also demanded that the municipality examine its own failures in this child abuse case.